You Deserve The Best
by Degrassi Mysteries
Summary: Clare and Eli have been dating for 5 years. All Clare wants is for her boyfriend to propose. When Eli keeps disappointing her, Clare runs into someone arms. That some just happens to be Drew Torres.
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings my fellow Degrassians. I am here to start my new story. It starts off as EClare and ends with Clew. This story takes place with all of them as adults. Drew and Bianca never got engaged Adam is a full male and in here he is with Imogen. The POV's will switch around and like in my other story you'll know who POV is who. If you have requests, you can leave it in a review or you can PM me. I will take any requests and suggestions you have. Please, leave reviews to let me know that you're interested. Lack of reviews means lack of updates. Now, on to the story. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Degrassi related. **

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[**CLARE**]

She woke up, stretching her arms over her head and opening her mouth to let out a quiet yawn. Clare looked over at the other side of the bed to see that it was empty. She sighed, wondering where her boyfriend could be this early. When she looked over at the clock, she saw that it was 11:30. She had no idea that she slept that long.

Clare rolled out of bed and slowly dragged her body to the bathroom. She washed her face and brushed her teeth. Afterwards she went into the kitchen of her and Eli's apartment. There was no sign of Eli there, either.

Clare walked over towards the counter, seeing a note folded neatly on it. She took the note and opened it.

_Good morning, or afternoon, beautiful. You were sleeping so peaceful, so I decided to leave you to your rest. I got called in today, so I won't be home until 5. Love you._

_-Eli_

Clare folded the note back up and threw it in the trash. She walked over towards the coffee maker and decided to put her some coffee on. While making the coffee, she went into the refrigerator and grabbed her a bagel. She put the bagel in the toaster and waited for it to pop up. When the bagel popped up, Clare spread her cream cheese on it. She then went to the coffee maker and poured her coffee in her favorite mug. She fixed up her coffee, adding her cream and sugar, before going to sit at the table.

The apartment was quiet. A little too quiet and Clare was beginning to grow tired of it. She was tired of being lonely. Even when Eli was here, Clare was feeling lonely. She loved Eli, but she felt like he wasn't all in like he used to. It's been five years since they've been together and he has yet to proposed. She didn't know what was wrong. Was it her? Every time Clare had mentioned it, Eli would change the subject. Honestly, it was bothering her. She decided once again she would ask Eli if he was ready to get married. They weren't getting any younger and she was ready to have a family.

Tonight, she was going to have something in store for Eli. Clare was going to cook his favorite meal, Chicken Alfredo with garlic sticks. For dessert, she was going to bake his favorite, apple pie. She was going to wear something sexy for Eli, letting him know what he has and could keep if he just popped the big question. If tonight didn't go as well, then Clare doesn't know what she'll do.

After finishing her little breakfast, Clare went to take a shower. She washed her body, following by her hair. After her shower, she dried her hair and her body. Clare walked out of the bathroom and went into her room, leaving the door a little cracked. She looked through the small closet only to grab her outfit for the day. After deciding she was going to wear a light blue camisole with a pair of blue jean shorts that stopped at her mid-thigh, Clare slipped on her undergarments then her clothes. She fixed up her hair next and then she decided she was going to go for a little drive today.

Considering the fact that Clare has _nothing_ sexy, she was going to go to a lingerie shop. She walked out of her room and into the small living room. She grabbed her wallet and her keys, locking up before she left.

Clare hopped in her car and drove off to the nearest lingerie shop in town. Normally, she would drive far out so no one would recognize her, but she didn't have enough gas and she didn't care at the moment.

It only took Clare ten minutes to get to where she needed to go. She pulled into the parking lot and turned off her car. She hopped out of the car and walked to the lingerie shop. Her heart began to beat a little fast as Clare began to become nervous. She was afraid someone was going to spot her in here. If they did, Clare would just die in embarrassment.

She took a deep breath and decided to look around the store. Every time the bell dinged as the door opened, Clare head would shoot up. She laughed to herself, realizing how paranoid she was becoming.

As she looked around, she stumbled upon something that was so sexy. She just knew that Eli would like it. It was a dark purple baby doll that a slit going up the side. Clare decided that she was going to buy it. As she walked up to the cash register, a familiar voice called out to her.

"Clare? Clare Edwards, is that you?"

Clare turned around to see Imogen Moreno standing there. She no longer wore her hair in two pigtails. Her hair was in loose curls and it flowed down to her shoulders.

Imogen squealed and ran over to Clare. It's actually been a while since Clare has seen Imogen. The last time they seen each other was for the birth of Gracie. They did keep in touch a little. Clare would call them every once in a while to see how they're doing.

"What brings you here? Trying to spice up something for you and Eli?" Imogen asked, playfully nudging Clare.

A blush crept across Clare's face and she tried to hide her embarrassment with her hands. She nodded her head, her curls falling in bouncing.

"So how are you two? It's been so long since I've seen you. How's everything going?"

"Well," Clare sighed, "I'm still waiting on him to pop the big question, you know. It's been years and he just hasn't come to his senses yet."

"Oh, Clare, I'm sure he will one day. Maybe he's just waiting for the right time."

"I've been telling myself that for years, Imo. I'm just tired of waiting now. Anyways, how have you been? How's Adam and Gracie?"

"We are all wonderful. Clare, we need to do some catching up. How does a girl day for tomorrow sound?"

"Tomorrow sounds wonderful. I will see you tomorrow," Clare said, grabbing her bag from the cashier.

As Clare was walking away, Imogen yelled out, "Tell Eli I said hello!"

Clare nodded her head and walked out of the shop. She walked over to her car, got in, and put the key in the ignition. Clare sighed, hoping that this would change Eli's mind. She wanted Eli to propose to her. She needed Eli to propose to her.

[**DREW**]

Drew was sitting at Adam's house, playing with his little niece, Gracie. She was a mixture of both her mother and her father. Drew smiled as Gracie gave him a toothless grin. It warmed his heart to see something so beautiful. But at the same time, it made him a little sad because he didn't have a family. He didn't have anyone to go home to. He didn't have a baby to wake up to in the middle of the night to feed him or her and make sure they were alright. He didn't have a girlfriend or a wife to argue with every once in a while, then they turn around and make up. Drew was lonely and it was surprising that he ended up this way.

There was once upon a time he thought he'd end with Bianca. They were deeply in love and he even thought of popping the big question. That was before Bianca got accepted into her dream college and broke up with Drew. He hasn't heard from her since she left him. He called her and sent her texts, but she would never respond. He knew she was ignoring him, but he never knew why.

The door opened and Drew's head instantly looked up. He seen Imogen come in with a few shopping bags in her hands. She closed the door behind her and called for Adam to come down. Immediately, Adam rushed down the steps and was greeted by his wife with a kiss. Drew smiled faintly and turned away from the couple. He was happy that his brother found someone. He had no reason to not be happy for his brother.

"You will never believe who I seen at the lingerie shop today," Drew heard Imogen say.

"Who?" Drew and Adam asked in unison.

"Clare!" Imogen squealed.

Drew turned around and looked at Imogen. She had to be joking. Clare Edwards never seemed like the type to go into a lingerie shop. Clare was known as Saint Clare in high school. Most people considered her as a prude. There was no way in hell Imogen could be talking about the same Clare he and Adam knew.

"Edwards?" Adam questioned.

Imogen nodded her head.

Drew shook his head and began wondering why Clare would be at a lingerie shop. He knew that she was still dating that Eli guy, though.

His mind began to wander and he thought about Clare wearing a sexy lingerie. He thought about her wearing a sexy, red corset that pushed up her breasts. He thought about her wearing a matching thong to show off her perfect, round ass.

Wait, why was Drew thinking about Clare wearing something sexy? This was _thee_ Clare Edwards! She was known as being the girl to wear an abstinence ring. He shouldn't be thinking of Clare in that manner, but he couldn't help it.

"What could my best friend possibly be doing at a lingerie shop?" Adam asked, completely stunned.

"Well, she wanted to spice up things with her and Eli. She wants him to propose to her."

"That doofus still hasn't proposed?" Drew asks, getting more interested.

"Nope," Imogen said, popping the 'p', "I feel sorry for her. She really wants Eli to propose. It's really bothering her."

"I'm sure Eli will. Maybe he's waiting for the right time," Adam reassured his wife.

"I said the same thing, but don't you wonder when the right time is?" Imogen asks, "Maybe you should talk to Eli tomorrow. You're his best friend. See what's wrong with him."

Adam nodded his head and walked over towards Gracie, taking her from Drew. Drew pouted and Adam chuckled walking away.

Drew began to think about everything that was just said. He wondered why Eli hasn't proposed to Clare. She was an incredibly sexy girl and any guy would be lucky to have her. If Eli couldn't see that then he was going to have to step aside and let a real man take over.

"So, Imogen," Drew said, smirking as he stood up.

"What do you want, Drew?" she asked, sighing.

"What makes you think I want something?" he laughs.

"Drew, I've known you since high school. I know that look when you want something. Spill it."

"I want to catch up with Clare sometimes. Do you by any chance have her address?"

"Andrew Torres, what are you up to?" Imogen asks, folding her arms.

"I just want to catch up with her. We used to work together for city council and we were somewhat close. The last time I seen her was when you and Adam had Gracie. Come on, Imogen."

"Why do you suddenly want to catch up with her?"

"I just miss hanging out with her. That's all," Drew said innocently.

"Fine, but if she calls to yell at me later, I'm calling to curse you out," Imogen said, grabbing a pen and paper to scribble Clare's address down.

"You're the best sister-in-law ever!" Drew said, pulling Imogen in a tight hug.

Imogen laughed and said, "I'm your only sister-in-law."

"And that's why you're the best. I'll see you later."

[**CLARE**]

It was exactly four p.m. when Clare decided that she was going to start making dinner. She knew that she should have started thirty minutes earlier, but she was tired. As she put the noodles in the pot of boiling hot water, she heard a knock at the door. She wiped her hand on her floral apron and walked to her door. When she opened it, Drew Torres was standing there with a smile on his face.

What on earth was Drew Torres doing at her and Eli's apartment? Sure, they were what you can call friends. They haven't talked since Gracie was born. It's been a while. She wondered how did he even get her address.

Not sure what to say, Clare stepped aside to let Drew in. She closed the door and walked over towards him, giving him a confused look.

"What, um, what are you doing here?" she finally asks.

"What? I can't come see my friend?" he questions.

"No, no, it's not that! I just wasn't expecting company today."

"I'm sorry to just show up without telling you. I could leave if you want," he says, walking to the door.

"Wait! Do you know how to cook?"

Drew turned around and smiled. "Have an extra apron?"

[**ELI**]

As he put the key in the lock, he heard giggles and music come from the inside. Eli froze when he heard a male's voice. Who could be in there with Clare? Why did she have a guy in _their_ apartment? Eli slowly crept in and saw Clare dancing around with Drew. She looked like she was having a pretty damn good time.

Eli slammed the door and the two immediately broke apart. Clare's face reddened and Drew was standing there rubbing the back of his neck.

"What the hell is this?" Eli asks, gesturing towards the two.

"Eli," Clare said walking towards him, "Drew was helping make dinner for us two tonight. We were dancing as time flew by us."

Eli didn't say anything. He just stood there with an emotionless look. Drew cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence.

"Well, it's time for me to get going. I'll, uh, see you later Clare."

Eli's eyes followed Drew as he made his way to the door. He gave Clare on last look before leaving. Eli slammed the door behind him and folded his arms across his chest, leaning against the door.

"You want to tell me what the hell that was about?" he hissed.

"There's nothing to tell you," Clare said, defensively.

"Then why the hell was Drew Torres here, _alone_ with you and dancing!?"

"Am I not allowed to have friends, Eli?"

"You're not allowed to be alone with Drew Torres."

Drew had a reputation with girls in high school. Everyone knew of that. Eli didn't want his girlfriend to be one of the girls Drew with get his filthy paws all over. He wouldn't allow his girlfriend to be near Drew when he wasn't home. He knew how the other Torres was. He was known for making girls fall for him instantly. All he had to do was charm Clare and give her that smile that Eli seen Drew use all throughout high school. Clare being so naïve would probably fall for it.

"Do you not trust me?" she asks softly.

Eli groaned. He knew that voice. He had hurt Clare and she was about to get ready to bring the water works. He walked over to his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around her as she began to cry. Eli stroked her curls and kissed the top of her head.

"I trust you, Clare. It's him that I don't trust."

"Eli, he wasn't going to try anything. He was just helping me cook for you since I was a little behind."

"What did you make?" Eli asks.

"Your favorite of course," Clare says, lifting her head off Eli's shoulder.

"Well, it smells wonderful. Let's go eat."

Clare went into the kitchen to fix her and Eli's plate. She brought out their food and sat the plates on the table. She took a seat next to her boyfriend and smiled once he took a bite.

"Your Chicken Alfredo gets better each time you make it, baby."

"Thanks. I even made you apple pie for desert. Then after desert, I have a special surprise for you," Clare winked.

Eli put the fork down and shook his head, his bangs falling in front of his face. He knew something was up. Clare had a trick up her sleeve and she was going to do anything to get Eli's approval.

"What is it, Clare?" he grunted.

"What are you talking about, honey?" Clare asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me, Clare. What do you want? And don't say you don't want anything, because you wouldn't be making my favorite meal for nothing."

"Can't a woman just satisfy-"

"Damn it, Clare!," Eli yelled, slamming his fist on the table, "Just tell me!"

Clare flinched and she looked down at the table. When she looked up at Eli, tears were forming in her eyes.

"I want us to get married, Eli."

"Fuck, Clare. I told you-"

"You told me that you'd think about it! That was three damn years ago! Name one good reason you don't want to marry me, Eli!"

Eli took a deep breath. He knew that she was going to bring this up, again. Truthfully, Eli didn't know if he was ready to get married. Being married had a lot of responsibilities. Being with Clare and living in the same apartment as her was a lot. If they got married, Clare would want a baby and that's not what Eli wanted, yet. He wanted to get a little far in his career, then if he had time he could give her what she wants.

"Do you even want to marry me?" she asks.

"O-Of course I do, Clare, honey. You know I do."

"No," Clare said, shaking her head, "I don't know. Why are you taking so long to propose?"

"Clare, I'm not ready to get married and have a child. I want to wait a little longer."

"Eli, I can't wait a little longer!" Clare said, standing up, "I'm going out."

"Where are you going?" Eli asks, following Clare to their room.

He watched Clare pull out a small suitcase and she stuffs some clothes in there. Tears pour from her face as she does so. Eli began to panic. He didn't want her to leave. He didn't mean for it to end this way. He wants Clare to understand that he isn't ready, but she doesn't and that bothers him.

"Clare, please don't leave," he pleads.

"I'll be back in a week. I need a break," she says, brushing past him.

Eli trails behind Clare as she walks to the door. She opens it and turns around to kiss Eli softly on the cheek before leaving. Eli doesn't call out to her, because he knows it won't do any good. He lets her leave. Maybe a break was good for the both of them. He needed to clear his mind also. This could give him time to take what Clare said into consideration.

[**DREW**]

The constant ringing of his doorbell woke him up. Drew slowly rose from his bed and dragged his body to the door. He opened it and saw Clare standing there with tears falling from her eyes. She had a suitcase in one had and her keys in the other. Drew rubbed his eyes, thinking this wasn't real. After rubbing them until they began to hurt, Drew saw that he wasn't dreaming. Clare was actually standing at his house.

He stepped aside and let her come in. When he closed the door, Clare flung her arms around him and cried. Hesitantly, Drew wrapped his arms around her and embraced the warm hug. He rubbed soothing circles on her back as her crying slowed down. They pulled apart and his lips tugged into a small smile.

"You want to tell me what's wrong?" he asks.

"Eli and I got into an argument," she cries.

"Why?" Drew asks, walking to the couch, "Come sit."

Clare obeys and sits next to Drew. She lays her head on his shoulder and he responds by wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He lightly squeezes it, waiting for her to go on.

"I want to get married and start a family. Eli doesn't seem to want that, yet. We're getting old as the days go on. I can't keep waiting any longer."

"Then leave him," Drew states.

"Drew, it's not that simple. I am in love with Eli. Leaving him will be the hardest thing to do."

"Then, you'll just have to keep waiting."

Clare nodded her head and begins to cry, again. In one swift motion, Clare scoops Clare up and place her on his lap. He gently rocks her once Clare wraps her arms around his neck.

"Please, don't cry. I hate seeing beautiful women cry."

"So, if I was ugly you would love it?" she questions.

"Clare Edwards, you could never be ugly and no. I just wanted to find some way to call you beautiful."

Clare bit her lip and her cheeks turned to a rosy pink. Her blue eyes stared into Drew's for a moment. It was like a magnetic force slowly pulled them together in a matter of seconds, because their lips were locked. Clare's hand slowly raked through Drew's hair as Drew tugged at her bottom lip. She slightly parted her lips and their tongues began to battle for dominance.

Clare was the one to break the kiss. She hopped off Drew's lap and frowned.

"This was wrong. This was very wrong," she said, pacing around the house.

"But you liked it," Drew said.

"It doesn't matter if I liked it. This was wrong and it shouldn't have happened. I-I should go," Clare says, grabbing her suitcase and heading for the door.

"Wait, no. Stay," Drew pleaded.

[**CLARE**]

Clare dropped her suitcase and turned around. She walked over towards Drew, grabbed the back of his neck and crashed her lips on his. She don't know what suddenly took over her. She was kissing Drew Torres, though she was with Eli. Clare wasn't known to be the cheating type, but at this moment it felt so right.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the reviews. Sorry for the wait. My lap top doesn't want to work sometimes. It was going really slow and kept shutting down. I have to find some way to get it fixed. Sighs. How do you all like the story so far? Is it good? Bad? It's only beginning. :) By the way, the only reason Clare hasn't dumped Eli yet, is because she really loves him. She wants to believe he will eventually pop the question. Okay.**

**And to blueberry24, Dallas and Owen will be in here. They'll pop up in the next chapter. I couldn't leave my favorite boys out of this story. **

**Warning: Lemons. Sort of. **

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[**DREW**]

Her arm was draped over his waist and her head was placed on his bare chest. She stirred a little then erupted into little snores. Drew smirked at how adorable she looked at this very moment. He wished that he could wake up to this every single day for as long as he lives. It was so perfect. He slowly brought his hand to her face and brushed a strand of her hair away.

Last night was going in the right direction, but then it took a wrong turn. Then, at the end, everything turned a little better.

_Clare lightly tugged at his bottom lip as Drew gripped her butt, pressing her against his semi-hard erection. They fell on the couch, with Clare being on top. She broke the kiss and place small kisses on Drew's neck. Drew's hand gripped her butt, once again and he began to move her in a rhythm. A gasped escaped from her lips and it quickly turned into a low moan._

_"Clare, I want you," Drew said huskily as his eyes clouded with lust._

_"We shouldn't do this," Clare said in between kisses._

_"But it feels so right," he moaned, "Come on, let's go in the room."_

_Clare got off Drew and held out her hand. Drew took it and he guided her to his room. Their lips connected once again as their clothes began to shed. Drew took in the image of her beautiful, naked body. Her body gave off a little glow. _

_Drew wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lips softly. His finger tips brushed up and down her sides. He felt her shiver a little. He brought his fingers to her perfectly, round breasts and began to gently caress them, earning a moan from Clare. He pinched her nipples as Clare arched her back._

_The two of them fell back on the bed, this time Drew being on top. He rubbed his hard cock against her. Clare sucked in her breath and breathed out a moan. Drew gripped the base of his cock and angled it too Clare's hot core. He slowly slid in and Clare arched her back, slightly parting her lips to let out a moan._

_As Drew slowly slid out of her only to go deep inside her, Clare began to cry. It wasn't a cry in pleasure either. Tears streamed down her face and her body began to tremble. Drew slid out of her and sat up. He wrapped his arms around her and her brought her head to his chest._

_"What's wrong?" he asks as he kisses the top of her head._

_"This is wrong!" she cries, "I'm with Eli and I- I love him."_

_Drew hung his head low. Hearing Clare tell him that she loves Eli kind of broke his heart. He doesn't know where the sudden feelings for Clare came from, but it was there. He couldn't hold back any longer._

_"Then why are you lying here, naked, with me?" _

_Clare shakes her head as more tears slide down her cheeks, "I don't know, Drew! This," she says gesturing to the two of them, "feels right. I don't why, but it feels so right! It's not supposed to!"_

_"And why is that?"_

_"I'm with Eli! I'm supposed to love him and marry him!" she screamed._

_"Then why hasn't he proposed, Clare!? Why are you here instead of there, with him?! Huh?" he argued._

_"You're right," she said softly, "I really should leave. Maybe I could go stay with Adam and Imogen."_

_"No, Clare, please. Don't run away. If you want I'll let you sleep in here all week and I'll sleep on the couch. Don't go, Clare," Drew pleaded._

_"Why? Why do you want me to stay so bad?"_

_"Because I'm lonely."_

"Good morning," Clare said groggily.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Clare nodded her head as she bit her lip. She rolled out of bed and blushed as she stared at her naked body.

"You can grab a shirt out of the closet."

Clare nodded her head and walked over to Drew's closet and picked out the first shirt she seen. Coincidentally, it just so happened to be one of Drew's favorite shirts.

"I have to go shower. Imogen and I have a girl's day out today."

"Okay, well, I can go take a quick trip to The Dot and grab us some breakfast. If you want to do some unpacking, the spare room is down the hall to your left. It's the last room," Drew said rolling out of bed.

"Thank you, so much Drew," Clare said as she walked out the room.

Drew groaned as he slipped on his boxers. He keep thinking about last night. Clare cried almost all night until she fell asleep. Drew cuddled with her, stroked her hair, kissed her forehead, and every other soothing method to get her to stop crying. He actually felt bad. He slipped on some clothes and grabbed the keys from his nightstand.

"This is going to be one hell of a week," he said to himself.

[**CLARE**]

"You're staying with Drew?!" Imogen yelled when she walked into Drew's house, "When the hell did this happen? Does Eli know about this? Are you two screwing around? Clare Diana Edwards, what have you gotten yourself into?"

Imogen just kept coming with the questions. Clare put her finger to Imogen's mouth to hush her. Imogen poked out her tongue and licked Clare's finger.

"Gross, Imogen! Ugh, grow up!" Clare yelled, wiping her slobbery finger on her shorts.

"Answer my questions, Clare!"

"Fine, Eli and I kind of got into an argument last night."

"What for?"

"Because Drew came to our apartment last night. He just wanted to catch up. Apparently, Eli got jealous. Then, we talked over dinner and I asked him about us getting married. He got upset. So, I packed and left."

"Are you and Drew screwing each other?"

"God, no! Imogen I love Eli! I really love him! Drew and I are just friends. What's wrong with that?"

"I love Drew, okay. I really do, but we all know how Drew is. You're better off staying with Adam and I."

Clare sighed. She grabbed her purse and pushed Imogen to the door.

"Let's just go out. Okay?"

"Fine. Let's go shopping. I'm in need of some new clothes and Gracie is just growing."

Clare smiled as the two left out the house. They hopped in Imogen's car and drove off to the mall, silently listening to the radio.

When they arrived at the mall, they looked around all the stores. Clare roamed inside Forever 21 with Imogen at her side. They both picked out the same dress, just different colors. They decided to find some matching shoes also.

Afterwards, they checked out a few more stores before going to a baby store for Gracie. They picked out little tu-tu's, pretty shirts, and nice shoes.

"Grace is going to love this!" Imogen squealed.

"She sure is," Clare said softly.

Clare looked around and began smiling at all the cute outfits. She wished that she could pick out these little outfits for her child, but she didn't. Eli didn't want to start a family. He didn't want to get that in the way of his dreams. Dreams that hasn't even took off!

Eli wanted to be a director. He wanted to write and produce his own movies, but those were his dreams. Eli was helping out the Degrassi Community Theater. He kept telling Clare, "One day my dreams will take off. Then we can settle down, get married, and start a family." When was that one day going to come? Clare was tired of hearing "one day". That one day wasn't here, yet.

"Clare, want to head out to Red Robin's to grab some food?"

"Sure," Clare said in a scratchy voice.

She wiped a single tear away and walked towards Imogen. They linked their arms together and walked out of the store.

[**ELI**]

The doorbell rang and Eli ran to it, hopping it was Clare. When he opened the door, Adam was standing there with a smile on his face.

"Hello, my best friend."

"Oh, hey, Adam."

"You don't sound happy to see me," Adam said, closing the door behind him.

"I was expecting to see Clare."

"She's out with Imogen now."

"Then who's with Grace?" Eli asked, sitting on the couch.

"Drew has her. He kept begging me to let Grace come over. It's like he's the father. Ever since Grace was born, Drew has taken over her. He'll take her shopping, out to get ice cream, and to the park. He's even trying to take her out her first birthday."

"Well, maybe Drew just wants a baby. But um, why are you here? Not that I don't mind seeing my best friend."

Adam cleared his throat and brushed his bangs out his face. He scratched the back of his head and put a smile on his face. Eli knew Adam was probably up to something.

"Eli, you need to talk to Clare. She wants to start a family and-"

"Not you, too! Damn it, can't you all understand that I'm not ready!?"

"Well, when are you ready Eli?!"

"When I get far ahead in my dreams!"

Adam shook his head and let a laugh fall from his lips. He brushed his hair back and stood up.

"No wonder Clare left you. You need to get yourself together, Eli. If you don't propose Clare will leave your sorry ass and honestly, I don't blame her."

Adam walked to the door and opened it. He walked out of the apartment and slammed the door. Eli stood up and grabbed a chair slamming it down, causing the wooden chair to break in pieces. He flipped his bangs out his face and wiped the tears from his eyes.

Why couldn't everyone just understand that a family isn't what he wanted now? He wanted to get enough money to buy them a house. He wanted enough money to get Clare the fairy-tale wedding she deserved. He wanted his first child to live in the proper environment. He just had to get his career on the right track.

At the moment he was working at Degrassi Community Theater. He was co-writing and directing plays. He loves his job very much and enjoys it. He sends in his pieces of work to many directors and hopes that one of them will call back. So far, no one has. He's really trying.

Clare asking him to get married is just something that upsets him. Don't get him wrong, Eli does want to marry Clare. It's just not something he want at the moment. He wants to enjoy life and not worry about too much. That way if he and Clare ever get into a horrible fight that leads to a breakup, it won't be so hard. If they were married, it would lead to a divorce. A divorce is a lot of money and honestly, it was pointless. Why marry someone if you're just going to turn around and divorce them? Eli feels divorces are only necessary if they cheat or if they're being abuse. Other than that, there's no excuse.

Eli grabs his cell and dials Clare's number. He decided to call her just to hear her voice. When the phone rang for the second time, it went to voice mail. He knew that she didn't want to talk to him. They were taking a break. A break meant that he couldn't even call her. More tears fell from his eyes. He just had to hear her voice.

_You reached Clare. Leave a message! *beep*_

"Clare," he sniffled, "I miss you and if hearing your voice mail is the only way I get to hear your voice then I'll keep calling. Please, I can't wait a whole week to not hear your voice or see your face. I- I need you, Clare."

He hung up the phone and walked to his room. He laid in the empty bed and curled his body into a ball. He began to cry some more. He loved Clare so much. He wanted her back. He _needed _her back.

"Please come back," he whispered at the picture of Clare on her nightstand.

[**CLARE**]

"I had a wonderful time, Immy. We definitely need to catch up, again."

"Yes, we sure do. I'll see you some other time and Clare?"

"Hmm?"

"Please, talk to Eli and don't do anything dumb with Drew."

"I will and I won't. Bye Imo."

Clare grabbed her bags and got out the car. She walked up the steps to Drew's place and rang the doorbell. After waiting for a few minutes, Drew answered the door. He was holding Gracie in his arms.

"Hi little Grace. What are you doing here?" Clare cooed.

"Adam went to go see Eli, so I asked for her."

"I need to go call, Eli. He left me a voice mail and-"

"Why are you going to call him?"

"That is my boyfriend, you know."

"Yeah," Drew sighed, "I know."

Clare sat on the couch and pulled out her phone. As she began to dial Eli's number, Drew began to play with Gracie. He was tickling her, tossing her in the air.

"Clare, I'm so glad you called," Eli said into the phone.

"Hi, Eli."

"It's so good to hear your voice. I miss you," Eli said.

"I miss you, too."

"When are you coming back?"

Clare sighed and raked her fingers through her hair. Did she want to cut this break shorter? Eli sounded like a wreck on the other end. He really wanted her back.

"Where are you?" Eli asked when he heard Gracie laughing.

"I'm at Imogen's. I'm staying here for the week. I have to go, Eli. I'll see you in a week."

"Clare I-"

Clare hung up the phone and put her head into her hands. She couldn't believe she just lied to Eli. What has gotten into her? She cheated on him and now she was lying to him! This wasn't the little sweet Clare Edwards she was before. Clare was someone different and now she wasn't liking it.

"Why'd you tell him you were at Imogen's?" Drew asked.

Before Clare could answer, the doorbell rang. Drew got up and answered the door. Adam was standing there with a smile on his face.

"There goes my little- Clare! What are you doing here?"


End file.
